William mudd still



N9. 748,888. l PATENTED .I Alrfl 5:, 1904...

v W. MQSTILL.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLxoATIoH FILED um. s1. 1903.

No MODEL. l Y s SHEETS-snm 1.

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PATENTED MN5, 1904; W. M. STILL,

' STEAM TRAP. APPLIUATIQN FILED 311x131. 1903.

2 SBEETS-SHEBT 2- FU IODEL.

Patented January 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE'.d

WILLIAM MUDD STILL, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,888, dated January 5, 1904.

Application filed March 31, 1903. Serial No.150482. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MUDD STILL, a subject-of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing in the city of London, England, have invented Improvements in Steam- Traps, of which the following is a specification. v This invention has reference to steam-traps of the kind in'which the discharge of water of condensation and steam is controlled by the contraction and expansion of iiuid inclosed in a chamber a wall `or walls of Vwhich is or are caused to distend by the expansion of the inclosed fluid when steam is. present and to thereby prevent the escape of steam.

Objects of this invention are to simplify and cheapen the construction of such steamtraps and to render them more sensitive to variations of temperature, so that they will quickly open to discharge Water, but will as quickly close to prevent the escape of steam.

Figures l, 2,and 3 of theaccompanying drawings showin elevation, central section, and under side view, respectively, one form of trap according to this invention. Figs. ei, 5, and 6 are similar views of a modified construction.

Referring to the arrangement illustrated in Figs. l, 2, and 3, the trap comprises a cylindrical casing a, having an inlet b and an outlet passage or passages c. Usually the inlet and outlet passages are at opposite ends-for example, top and bottom-and the casing may conveniently be made in two parts screwed together, as shown. Within the casing is a loose shallow chamber d, containing an expansible gas or liquid-for exam ple,airor a volatile liquid or liquids or a mixture thereof. This chamber being loose, it can be easily removed and replaced. The top and bottom of this chamber are in the form of flexible diaphragme, and one is formed with a hollow conical projection e, that serves as a valve, being adapted when the. Iiuid is expanded by the presence of steam to close against a vulcanite or other seat f, surroundling the orifice through which occurs the discharge from. the chamber to be relieved of water. The chamber d is of less diameter than the casing a, and is guided by suitable internal ribs or Webs g thereon. The discharge-passage thus formed around the fluidcontaining chamber may be of any convenient size. The chamber ci may rest upon a plate h, carried by an adj listing-screw z', extending through the bottom of the'casing and there provided with a lock-nut k.

The flexible diaphragme forming the top and bottom of the chamber d are preferably in the form of concentrically corrugated disks, which may be pressed to form, the hollow conical projection or valve-piece e being Y.

similarly produced. Such a hollow valvepiece, 'containing expansible duidand being directly exposed to the steam or water, renders the trap more sensitive than would otherwise be the case.

In some cases only the top or the bottom of the chamber d need be flexible.

Sometimes the chamber d may be inverted and adapted to close the outlet instead of the inlet to the trap, the outlet then being provided with a suitable seating and, if desired, made adjustable toward and from the valvepiece. Y

Instead of a loose shallow duid-containing chamber d, as illustrated in Fig. 2, a tubular chamber carried by anY adjusting-screw i at one end and provided with a hollow conical valve e at the other. may he employed, as in the arrangementillustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The chamber may consist wholly or partly of an india-rubber or corrugated-metal tube l or like extensible portion connecting the fixed end to the hollow valve-piece and may be guided by a surrounding metal tube m, screwed to its fixed end.

What I claim isl. In a steam-trap, the combination with a casing having an inlet and an outlet, of an expansible-linid-containing chamber within said casing, one of whose walls is fashioned as a hollow valve-cone and is adapted to control the passage through the trap, the interior of said valve being in communication with the iiuid -containing chamber, as set forth.

2. In a steam-trap, the combination with a IOO fin two parts, one part with an inlet-passage provided with a valve-seat and the other part l with an outlet and having an adjusting-screw extending through said part, means for connecting said parts together and an expansible-fluid-containing chamber having one of its walls formed as a liexible diaphragm and v a central hollow outwardly-projecting conical valve piece formed in one therewith and adapted to control the passage through said valve-seat and whose interior is in free communication with the Huid-containing chamber, as set forth.

5. A steam-trap comprising a casing formed in two parts, one part with an inlet-passage provided with a valve-seat and the other part with an outlet and having an adj usting-screw extending through said part, means for conmeeting said parts together, and an expansible-fluid-containing chamber having one of its walls formed as a iexible diaphragm with a central hollow outwardly-proj ecting conical valve-piece, which is adapted to control the passage through said valve-seat and whose interior is in communication with the uidcontaining chamber, a plate secured to said adj usting-screw and adapted to support said chamber and guiding means for maintaining said chamber coaxial with the valve-seat, as

`set forth.

6. In a steam-trap,a shallow disk-like uidcontaining chamber loosely tted into said trap so that there is a passage therethrough past the chamber, said chamber having its opposite Walls formed as flexible diaphragms and one of them having formed in one therewith a hollow projecting valve-piece open to said chamber, as set forth.

Signed at 75-7 7 Cornhill, in the city of London, England, this 12th day of March,

WILLIAM MUDD STILL. Witnesses:

HUGH HUGHES, WM. O. BEvINs. 

